Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 17 vs. Raiders Revealed
The Denver Broncos finished the 2019 season with a 16-15 victory over the Oakland Raiders. This was the final game for the Oakland Raiders as they will be moving to Las Vegas in 2020.
Oakland still had some playoff hopes entering the game, so the Broncos pulling out the win was a bonus for fans. Even though they won, it was a rough game for the Broncos.
There were a few Broncos who put together a really good performance, but for the most part, there were few worth mentioning.
As always, I'll reveal four positively-graded players, four negative, and four others worthy of analysis. As for who earned MVP honors for the game and why, check out the video above.
This grading system has been honed and adapted for the last five-plus years. Each player starts with a grade of 50, and the grade will either get raised or lowered based on each snap and the player's impact on the play.
A cornerback on the backside of a run who sheds a block will get a slight raise to their grade, but a corner shedding a block in the run path to make the stop at the point of attack will get a higher mark in their grade, as they had a bigger impact on the result of the play.
The Good
Von Miller, OLB: 78.7
It hasn’t been the best season stat-wise for the star edge rusher, but he has actually had a very solid year. Miller has done a good job of generating pressure despite being double and triple-teamed so often. In Week 17, his play against the run was especially good.
DaeSean Hamilton, WR: 77.4
It is nice to see Hamilton really start to emerge and be the player the Broncos thought he could be when they drafted him. He isn’t the most dynamic receiver, but he is able to win reps with his route running. The last few weeks have been strong for the young receiver, but is it enough to rely on him as the No. 3 receiver going forward? The best option would still to bring in competition.
Garett Bolles, LT: 74.8
Bolles played a relatively clean game in pass protection and was solid as a run blocker. What issues he did have came as a run blocker. Whatever Mike Munchak has done with his technique is working, but he is still hard to trust because of penalties and lack of poise.
Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB: 72. 9
Attaochu has earned himself a good contract after this season. It may not be from the Broncos, but some team could do a lot worse by bringing him in. He is a solid run defender and can get after the quarterback. Perhaps Attaochu takes a cheap one-year deal similar to Shaq Barrett, who is the 2019 NFL sack champ.
The Bad
Isaac Yiadom, CB: 21.6
Yiadom has struggled this season, but he has really been exploited by the Raiders. His two worst games of the season came against Oakland. It was a bad end to a very rough season for the young corner. Next year could be his last chance as a Bronco to really step up his game.
Jake Rodgers, RT: 36.3
It was a rough game for Rodgers, especially in pass protection. Oakland rookie DE Maxx Crosby had his way with Rodgers for most of the day. While Rodgers was better as a run blocker, it still was pretty bad. He did manage to balance out his play some in the second half.
Dre’Mont Jones, DE: 40.0
As an interior pass rusher, Jones is very solid. However, the Raiders really showed his issues against the run. There is a lack of strength to hold up at the point of attack, and his quickness just got him into bad positioning. This will be a focal point to improve prior to next season.
Austin Schlottmann, RG: 40.1
There was an issue with the right side of the Broncos' O-line, period. Schlottmann has been solid for the Broncos, but against the Raiders he really struggled. He just doesn’t have the strength, or anchor, to handle power across from him head-to-head. As a result of that, the Raiders were able to push him around.
Other Grades of Note
Alexander Johnson, LB: 64.8
Johnson's athleticism issues did show up against the Raiders, but he still played a solid game. He made some big plays against the run, but there were a few instances of being a little late to make the proper read. Once that mistake is made, he doesn’t have the athleticism to recover.
Courtland Sutton, WR: 60.5
The stud receiver was solid vs. the Raiders, but there were a couple of decisions after the catch that left yards on the field. There were also some reps as a blocker that weren’t the best. He was still solid, but not quite to the level we have become used to.
Connor McGovern, C: 55.2
It has been a rough few weeks for the center. He has let defenders run right by him multiple times to have a shot at blowing up the play. These mistakes have drawn sidelong looks from his fellow O-linemen. McGovern also has issues that really show up as a run blocker. His pass protection is solid, but he has rarely been asked to block one-on-one in pass protection.
Mike Purcell, NT: 49.5
The big boy has struggled the last couple of weeks. Against the Raiders, he had a shot at making some big-time plays but just failed to do so. Purcell is a solid depth option, but he can be upgraded and the Broncos should look into doing just that.
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